


a place where roses bloom

by littlelooneyluna



Category: robron
Genre: M/M, Slight Angst?, but also soppy dad stuff, daddy!Robron, romance???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 14:16:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17851118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlelooneyluna/pseuds/littlelooneyluna
Summary: someone reminds robert of the past and shatters annie’s whimsical ideas about her parents love story





	a place where roses bloom

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a tumblr prompt given to me!

 

 

Seb’s a teenager so he’s naturally annoyed that he has to have a family dinner at the pub instead of going out with his mates. He has a frown on his face which almost mirrors Aaron’s teenage look and Chas just has to comment on it when she takes their orders.

“Oh. I sense a strop coming.”

Seb frowns. “Uh. No.” He says, he turns bright red as his nan comes forward and squeezes his cheeks. Aaron watches and only tells the to shut up when Ella starts wriggling about in his arms.

“We’ve just got her off.” Robert says, but he doesn’t care all that much because Jacob’s actually being quiet, well quieter. They’ve promised him he can spend the day with Isaac and Cain at the garage tomorrow if he behaves tonight so they’re winning really.

Jacob leans over to look at his baby sister and Annie nearly yanks him away. “She’s _sleeping_.” She’s five and yet the most protective child in the whole world.

She has reasons. They all do. Because Ella was early and Chas thought the worst, it didn’t help that they’d already agreed to call her Ella _Grace_. There were memories, it got dark. But she made it.

And now Annie doesn’t even want to think about anything bad happening. Jacob tuts, goes to shove her and Robert just gives them this flipping work. It gets them back in their seats and Aaron runs a hand across Robert’s knee and squeezes.

It’s a thank you, it’s a promise, he basically screams ‘later’ and Robert just throws him a smirk.

Ella punches the air with a small fist and then shoves in it her mouth and gurgles when Robert takes her from Aaron’s arms so that he can lean over and cut Annie’s food up for her.

Robert rocks Ella slowly until he looks up and sees an old man walk in and take his hat off. He’s dressed smartly. He’s got this grey suit on and he orders cognac from Marlon before settling down on the stool.

He looks familiar, but Robert keeps his attention down on Ella when she starts crying and he has to lift her towards his chest.

“Is she okay?” Aaron looks up, sounds panicked and maybe he always will be when it comes to her.

“Dad she’s fine.” Seb reasons, his voice is low and he nods a little when Robert says the same thing, says she might need a bottle.

Aaron nods steadily and goes to the bar to get her bottle heated up and then Chas comes out again and asks for a hold.

“You’ll do her bottle too?”

Chas frowns. “Robert Sugden-Dingle, I think I _am_ capable.” She says, tuts a little as Ella is passed over to her in a little bundle. She makes all these little noises and then they all turn to hear the sound of someone slamming a drink down on the bar. 

“Everything alright there?” Marlon has his hands on his hips as he comes back through and places the bottle down.

The man looks right at Robert. “You’re Robert Sugden?”

Robert instantly feels uneasy around him and his eyes flicker. He goes to nod his head and Aaron’s like his personal bouncer. “Who’s asking?”

“You’re the person who killed my friend.”

Annie lets out a bloody scream and starts crying almost immediately. She huddles into Seb’s chest who just looks stunned and waits for Robert to say something.

“What are you talking about?”

“Lawrence White? That psycho only crashed their car because you had —“

Seb instantly has tears in his eyes. He knows the story, the full story, thanks to Belle and honesty when he was old enough to understand. Now though, he’s confronted with a different sort of truth.

Robert looks right at him. “Seb, don’t listen to him.”

Jacob looks up and asks what’s wrong and Marlon takes him out the room with Annie. “You go with uncle Marlon yeah?” Aaron says, and as soon as they’re out the room he comes towards the man and looks ready to thump him. He only turns back when Robert makes a grab for his hoodie and tells him to.

“He’s just some old drunk.”

Aaron leans closer again and then frowns.

“You must be the scaly he went off with.”

Seb just stands there awkwardly. “Don’t say that about my —“ Chas manages to push him out the room without alerting Ella. He doesn’t go willingly. It takes Robert telling him to watch out for Annie and Jacob for him to finally leave.

They’re thankful the pub isn’t busy because this idiot is managing to shout his mouth off in this really classy way isn’t he?

“Poor Chrissie. They died together. Both of them, at the hands of you.” The man looks across at Robert again, points angrily and Aaron shakes his head.

“Don’t speak to him.” Aaron blurts out.

“You better leave. This is his family’s pub.” Chas says, stokes Ella’s back and looks like she’s holding back herself.

Robert feels wrecked suddenly, it’s been years since he was confronted with the idea that he had killed his ex wife and ex father in law. This old bastard doesn’t have the right to do this.

The man frowns. “Says Dingle on the front.” He says, then he connects the dots. “Oh you _married_ him?” He scoffs and Aaron balls his fists.

“We said go.” Robert comes closer to where Aaron is standing and the man shakes his head.

“He said you ruined him.” Robert remembers all the lies. He remembers suffering for it.

“Yeah and he hit me with his car. I nearly died.”

“Then he might have lived.” The man counters. “But instead you get to live this cosy life with this chav and a few children who aren’t even you—“

“That’s it.” Aaron has no qualms with throwing him out himself. He picks up the idiot’s poxy hat and shoves it in his face. “Leave.”

The man seems startled. His face turns bright red as he stands and then he gulps hard and scowls. “I see you have Seb.”

“Don’t mention our Seb.” Robert says, but he cowers in a way that Aaron doesn’t.

“Where’s Rebecca?”

Robert looks towards Chas and sees that Seb’s hanging in the hallway, listening. It’s a sore point. Still is.

“Get out.” Aaron says once more, only the man keeps talking directly at Robert.

“So you ruin their lives and get this family so you? You cheated on Chrissie, got Rebecca pregnant accidentally and now? Now you’re loves young dream.”

Robert is startled by how much he knows, it makes him think about how much Lawrence must have told him and how much he hurt the man.

“I don’t want any trouble.” Robert says slowly. “I’m just enjoying a nice family meal.”

“Lawrence can’t have any more of those.”

“You wanna join him?” Aaron shouts, the veins on his neck pop out.

“ _Aaron_.” Chas says, and Ella starts crying her eyes out. Robert leans across to get her and the man shakes his head.

“I hope you can live with your sordid selves.” He says, gets his hat back on and leaves. Aaron turns around and looks at Robert.

“You alright?”

Robert isn’t, in fact he feels like he’s still that stupid selfish thirty year old who messed people’s lives up. “Didn’t expect that.” He tries to joke but Aaron holds his hand for a second and just breathes against his temple.

“Love you.” He says, and Robert knows. He says it back and then get themselves some pints whilst Chas feeds Ella for them.

“Bloody weirdo.” Chas snipes. “He called you a chav.”

“And a scaly.” Marlon comes out of nowhere and they all just stare at him before he goes back into the kitchen.

“Wasn’t wrong though.” Robert says, almost to himself. “Not about Aaron. About me. All I did was hurt them.”

Aaron rolls his eyes and sighs. “You didn’t kill them.”

“Started with Rebecca, cheating on Chrissie with her. Then you.”

“Well you’re married now.” Chas shrugs. “So it was worth it.”

“Of course it was.” Robert’s not denying that for a second. “It’s just ... it _was_ one thing after another with them.” He shakes his head. “I hurt them. With you.” He looks at Aaron. “The whole world was against us, because I was bad for you and ...”

Aaron punches Robert’s arm lightly. “Where’s this all coming from?”

Robert closes his eyes, he doesn’t really know if he’s being honest. It’s just pouring out of him and he only switches off when Seb comes back in timidly. He feels rotten, it’s his grandad they were just talking about.

The other one he never got to see.

“He’s gone?” Seb says, mop of blonde hair against his forehead which he runs a hand through awkwardly whilst he waits for his dads to answer him.

“Your dad chucked him out.” Chas smiles, proper teeth and everything and only makes all the awkwardness that much clearer. “It’s all fine now.”

“What did he even want?” Seb says, Ella’s little hands reach for him and he takes her. He’s a proper pro with her and she manages to settle his nerves when Aaron eventually answers.

“He was just being daft.” He says. He shrugs and then sips at his pint. “Had a problem with your dad.”

Robert stays quiet.

“Over ... Lawrence?” Seb says awkwardly. He doesn’t call him grandad, he never has, despite Rebecca referring to him like that. 

“Yeah. But don’t worry.” Aaron smiles faintly. “Bring the kids in.” He says and Seb goes willingly.

 

**

 

Jacob doesn’t say anything about it, he’s almost always in his own little world and they’re thankful that he just goes up to bed when he’s told.

Seb though, he hangs around by his dads door and watches Aaron rock Ella to sleep.

“You don’t have to worry about anything.” Aaron says, Seb dips his head into the room and sighs.

“Are you sure?” Seb bites his lip. “He said it was because of me.” He says, closes his eyes as he sits on the bed and Aaron reaches a hand out.

“The crash was _not_ your fault.” Aaron almost panics at the off chance that Seb’s going to grow up thinking that he caused his auntie and grandad to die. “We’ve been through ...”

“Yeah I know it was Lachlan.” Seb speaks slowly. “But dad was ... they were chasing dad down because of me.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered if you were there or not.” Aaron says, he looks up and Robert comes out from their en suite. “Tell him.”

Robert comes down on the bed and squeezes Seb’s shoulder. “Not one bit of it was your fault. It was Lachlan. All him okay?” Seb bites his lip and then nods a little before looking at Ella asleep in Aaron’s arms.

“You want me to put here in with Annie?” She’s got a little cot in the corner of Annie’s room, twinkly lights that she’s going to start to grab for soon. Aaron nods and passes her over gently.

Seb gets to the door before looking back at Aaron and Robert in bed. “Love you, night.” He says, ears bright red as he leaves and Robert scoffs.

“He’s so like you.”

“What?”

“Doesn’t like emotions.” Robert shrugs and Aaron frowns before pinning his husband down on the bed.

“Uh excuse you. I say I love you every day.” Aaron hovers over him, lets his nose bump against Robert’s.

“I love you too.” Robert whispers, and then he leans up and kisses Aaron on the mouth. It’s been a while, they haven’t been without Ella in the room for almost two weeks and it doesn’t take long for Aaron to reach for Robert belt. “Hurry up.” Robert’s voice is like gravel against Aaron’s ear as he struggles with Robert’s belt and feels his husband sliding down his joggers to get things going.

“Daddy?” Annie’s little voice is enough to get Aaron rolling off Robert and panting hard as their little girl stands there with her little nightie on. Her hair is wild and all out of place and she blinks as Robert nods at her.

“What’s wrong?” Aaron says, he tries to calm himself down and then when he sees her pouting, he instantly becomes a worried dad again. He scopes her up and brings her to the bed. “Come on angel?” He gently strokes her cheek and she frowns.

“That man was being mean about your love.”

She has a way with flipping words and Robert almost bursts out laughing. He would, if she didn’t look so bloody devastated.

“He’d just had too many pints.” Aaron reasons, but it doesn’t do any good because she also managed to hear Robert going on about how he hurt Chrissie, that everyone thought that they were bad for each other. She’s heard too much and Robert feels so guilty.

“You lied.” Her voice breaks a little.

“Darling, I’m sorry.” Robert says sensitively. “Me and daddy are happy now. Proper happy. Sometimes grown ups can be silly.” He watches Aaron smile. “You know me and daddy love each other _so_ much.”

They’ve always told her that. When she was really little they used to talk about the two princes falling in love and getting married and she’s always loved how whimsical they made it seem.

“Forever and ever.” Annie’s always needed more reassurance than Jacob or Seb ever did. They don’t even know where she gets it from really. Robert and Aaron both blame themselves, their own insecurities about not having stability when they were younger. They try and pour as much love as they can into her.

“Of course.” Aaron whispers, he holds Robert’s hand in his and shows her their wedding rings. “I’ve love daddy —“

“Since the moment you touched lips!”

Aaron turns bright red and Robert relishes in a story that Aaron’s cooked up. Aaron runs a hand through Annie’s hair and nods slowly.

“Yep.” Aaron over pronounces the ‘p’ and Annie giggles. She looks happy again. Maybe they have restored her faith in true love then. He strokes her hair again slowly and smiles. “That’s all you need to know, that me and daddy are —“

“Madly in love.” Robert leans over and kisses Aaron’s cheek. Aaron blushes a little and Annie grins against it. “Okay?”

“Okay.” She whispers, slides off the bed and walks towards the door. She blows them both a kiss because she’s the cutest little girl in the world and then they’re finally alone.

Aaron leans into Robert’s chest. “Madly in love.” He mumbles, he looks up. “Still?”

Robert frowns, looks indignant. “Duh.”

“Duh. That’s your response.”

“Learnt from my husband of so little words.” Robert whispers down before kissing Aaron and then leaning away again. “Thanks for sticking up for me by the way.”

“Always.” Aaron says. “He was a right twat.”

“Should really be dead by now.”

“Robert.” Aaron snaps, he tuts a little and then laughs. Robert looks up at him and then kisses him breathlessly.

“I reckon we have about twenty minutes before Ella gets up, or Jacob needs a wee and leaves the tap running. So...” Robert kisses Aaron again. “Get on with it.”

Aaron wriggles an eyebrow. “Glad to see we’re still all romantic.” He says as he disappears under the covers and makes Robert laugh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
